title: Benign pericardial schwannoma in a Chinese woman: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intrathoracic schwannomas are most frequently located in the posterior mediastinum. A Chinese woman presented with a benign pericardial schwannoma in the pretracheal space and aortopulmonary window, a location which has not been described previously in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 50-year-old Chinese woman initially reported a cough associated with a small amount of sputum. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) subsequently revealed a 9 × 11 cm2 lobulated mass with sharp margins that presented as a capsule with heterogeneous enhancement and punctate calcification. Complete surgical resection was performed using a thoracotomy approach. The resected intrapericardial tumor was a firm, large mass with lobulation. Capsulation prevented infiltration of the mass into adjacent organs. Pathological examination verified that the tumor was a benign pericardial schwannoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first reported case of a benign pericardial schwannoma located in the pretracheal space and aortopulmonary window. While a contrast-enhanced CT scan was able to differentiate this pericardial schwannoma from other middle mediastinal tumors, the exact diagnosis and plan for treatment depended on a pathological examination. For similar cases involving pericardial schwannomas, complete surgical resection is recommended, particularly for the prevention of life-threatening cardiopulmonary complications.
authors.forename: Xu-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xian-Yue
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed